Night Shift workers -- need advice!

[sme702]

Hi to all those Night Shift people!

I'm switching to nights (7p-7a) starting July 12th and was wondering when do you fit in your workout during those long nights.

I was thinking of doing it when I get home in the morning but was wondering if I'd be too "worked up" to go to bed.

What works best for you?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Sheryl

 

[wiggie]

When I work nights I usually workout before I go to work.

 

[ellesan]

Hi Sheryl,

You'll probably have to try working out before and after work and see how you feel.

I also work that shift and although I've had good intentions of trying to workout when I get home, it never happens. I'm always exhausted and I have a bit of a commute--when I get home I'm ready for bed! I usually get home around 8:30 am, bed before 9am, up around 3-3:30, workout from 4-5 pm then get ready for work. I normally don't get more than 6 hours sleep.

This works great for me, been doing it 3 years now.

 

[dixiedog6]

I also do shift work. When I work the night shift I also workout before I go to work, I have to sleep as soon as I get home from work in the morning. It isn't easy though, shift work is tough!

 

[imatbrown]

Hi! I work 10pm - 6am. I have found I do enjoy working out before I go to work, but that takes away time from my girls and hubby and so that doesn't work so well.

this week I am trying to see how I do working out after I get home, so I'll have to come back and post the results, but so far, I just finished my run and am getting ready to do STS Meso 1 legs - I am wired (oh no!) and I have to get to sleep because I have class tonight before work.

The hardest thing so far with shift work is not the workouts, but the eating, I feel like I am never hungry.

Tami

 

[Cupcake]

Hi

It depends. If I'm tired then I'd rest on my break then workout after the shift.
If I'm well rested, I usually workout during my break. Coffee helps a lot.

 

[meredith]

I worked nights for a year. I would always go straight to bed when I got home after work - they was no possible way I could've worked out. I would just workout first thing when I woke up. I would eat really lightly (yogurt) and then do it. I usually woke up about 2:00 and had to be at the bus stop at 4:00 so it worked out fine. Good luck, I did great the first 6 months as far as coping with nights but the last 6 I was miserable & couldn't wait to get on Days. I just couldn't stay asleep as time went on. I would always wake up about noon and then I felt tired all the time. It was not fun. I have always been an extreme day person, the opposite of a night owl, so it just didn't work for me. Hope you do better.

 

[fit fanatic]

I am not on a night shift but I do work 12 hour days with 4 days off one week then 3 off the next. I was getting frustrated with trying to fit everything in on my days off then I decided I was going to do 30 minutes of cardio (getting up about 40 minutes early) I invested in a treadmill a few years ago and get a 1/2 hour run and also try to mix it up with cathe dvds (the hiit disk is perfect as well as other cathe premixes) I try to do fairly intense cardio since I only have 30 minutes. If I feel too burnt out I take the day off. This seems to work for me I save the longer dvds for my days off. Good luck.